News | Sunday, 28 February 2010

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Siggiewi deputy mayor acts alone to protect residents’ rights

David Darmanin
Siġġiewi Deputy Mayor Karol Aquilina yesterday launched a personal campaign to defend residents who live in a neighbourhood where a quarry is not being run in conformity with the law.
His sole action did not go unnoticed, due to the absence of mayor Robert Musumeci in championing the cause.
Besides the PN deputy mayor, only one councillor, Joe Sammut, was present for the press conference yesterday, and Aquilina clarified this other councillor “happened to be there”, stressing his campaign was a personal initiative.
Mayor Robert Musumeci was vague when asked by this newspaper on whether the council approved of Aquilina’s action, or if he expected to be invited to the press conference. “This issue was addressed at council level in November 2009 to which end there was a general consensus on the way forward,” Musumeci said. “Any subsequent action was taken within this perspective.”
Musumeci was referring to the resolution tabled by Aquilina and seconded by councillor Joe Sammut, wherein the councillors sought to bring the residents’ qualms to the attention of the Prime Minister and the Malta Environmental and Planning Authority (MEPA).
But when pushed for a concrete answer on whether or not he agreed with Aquilina’s campaign, Musumeci said he wished not to elaborate further.
Meanwhile, Aquilina said that the 4,700m2 site was inconveniencing residents due to dust emission, noise pollution and unlawful times of operation.
“While I endorse the initiative of the developer to use the stone for construction, I feel that the way this is being done is condemnable,” Aquilina said, calling on MEPA to take action for the situation to be remedied.
Asked by this newspaper to explain why he acted alone, the deputy mayor said: “for no particular reason”.
Aquilina said that as deputy mayor, he felt that it was his duty to bring to MEPA’s attention that large quantities of dust are being exposed to the elements on this site; that the noise from machinery that is generally used in uninhabited areas is causing a disturbance to neighbours; and that the quarry is operating during specific times that breach environmental laws.
Answering a question posed by an attending journalist, the deputy mayor admitted that he was aware of the involvement of PN MP Philip Mifsud (elected from Aquilina and Musumeci’s same electoral district) as the architect behind forthcoming developments at the quarry.
ddarmanin@mediatoday.com.mt

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